How will God lead you this Lent?

Lent is just a week away.

Have you thought about what you will do to draw closer to God during this season of grace?

Or better yet, have you prayed about it? Ask the Lord how He would have you prepare for the holiest of days: Holy Week and Easter. What graces would He like to give you?

As you pray and ponder, consider the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Below are some suggestions that might help.

Prayer

– Turn off the noise. Set aside at least 10 minutes for quiet prayer every day, whether at home, in church, in the car or during a walk.

– Meditate on the same Scripture passage every day throughout Lent, allowing those words to seep deeply into your life and to speak to you anew each day.

– Worship at Mass every day or even one extra day a week.

– Spend time every day or every week praying before the Blessed Sacrament. 

– Develop a devotion to the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy or Stations of the Cross – meditating on the Passion of Christ.

– Prayerfully read Scripture. Lectio Divina is one method.

– Journal. Record what God whispers to you in prayer. Now and then go back to what you’ve recorded to remember what He’s said. 

– Intercede. Throughout Lent, pray for holy vocations, the souls in purgatory, for the Church, the poor or others in need. 

Fasting

– Spiritually adopt someone during Lent, offering sacrifices and prayers on that person’s behalf. Ask God to choose that person.

– Give up swearing, griping or gossiping.

– Give up anger, resentment and unforgiveness by choosing to forgive. (That doesn’t mean that you allow people to continue to hurt you.)

– Give up sin. Go to Confession frequently to repent and receive healing.

– Give up anything that gets in the way of your relationship with the Lord, anything that keeps Him from being the center of your life.

– Do something for God that makes you uncomfortable. That might mean reaching out to help a stranger or to a friend who’s been away from the Church. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. Ask Him how He wants you to help that person.

– Pray and sacrifice in reparation for your sins and the sins of the world.

Almsgiving

– Give one of the greatest treasures: share the faith! Invite someone to go with you to Mass, a parish Alpha program or perhaps the Stations of the Cross followed by a fish fry. Join a small faith-sharing group at your parish. Live Lent Together is a great option. https://archomaha.org/lent/ 

– Simplify. Donate items you don’t need to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

– Volunteer at your parish or for a charitable organization.

– Sign up for 40 Days for Life in Omaha to maintain a prayer vigil outside an abortion clinic. Or pray however you can for the end of the culture of death, for the victims of abortion and for the conversion of hearts.

–  Make a point to learn more about a particular social issue (immigration, human trafficking, racism, the environment, child poverty). Give money to an organization related to your chosen issue that supports the dignity of the human person.